Sunday, September 27, 2015

Getting Ready for Fall: Smoky Pumpkin Soup with Chicken

As autumn approaches, the in-season produce changes from zucchini and corn to vegetables like
butternut squash and pumpkin. Unfortunately in Florida, the end of September
sees temperatures in the high 80's and low 90's. In hope of bringing the cooler
temperatures here a little quicker, I created this soup recipe. The bacon, paprika, chipotle, and cumin add smoky flavors that offset the sweetness of the pumpkin.
While you definitely could cube the chicken and cook it in the soup, I like the texture better with shredded chicken. You can use shredded rotisserie
chicken breast, or cook the chicken and shred it, which is what I did.

Ingredients

4 strips bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 medium onion, chopped

3 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

5 cups chicken broth

1 15 oz can pumpkin
(Not pumpkin pie filling!)

1 chipotle in adobo, chopped

2 tsp. smoked
paprika

1 tsp. cumin

1 lb. cooked chicken breast, shredded

1/4 c. flat leaf parsley, chopped

Directions

In a Dutch oven or other large pot, cook the bacon
over medium low heat until the bacon is crisp and the fat renders. Drain
the bacon on a paper towel lined plate and reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon
drippings.

Add the reserved bacon drippings and 1 tablespoon of
vegetable oil to the pan. Add the
carrots, onions, and celery and saute for 8 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

Add the garlic, tomato paste, paprika, and cumin. Cook for two minutes.

Mix in the pumpkin and cook for 5
minutes.

Whisk in the chicken broth, bring to a simmer and
cook for 30 minutes.